Words have been a part of Marjorie Liu 's life as far back as she could remember .

She would devour children 's books sitting in her mother 's lap , dreaming up adventures of her own she wanted to share .

But the New York Times bestselling author never thought her passion for writing could earn her a living , so she set her sights on a career in law , spending years diligently poring over law books to pass the bar .

`` I was going to be a lawyer and I had studied hard , '' Liu says , `` but then it suddenly occurred to me in a very deep , profound way that I did n't want to keep practicing law for the rest of my life , '' she adds .

Follow the dream

Liu was struck with the impulse to fulfill her dream of writing a novel , and brushing off concerns from those around her , she closed herself off in her apartment for a month to write .

She worked feverishly for 14 hours a day , producing her first novel -- a paranormal magic thriller called `` Tiger Eye '' . Her leap of faith paid off , and the book was bought by a publishing house and turned into a four-sequel contract . Nine years after her debut , the 35 year-old is a celebrated writer with 17 novels to her name and myriad of literary awards .

`` I had my dreams , and even though everyone told me that they were n't practical , I knew in my heart that this is what I had to do . Even if it ended up being a failure , I had to make the attempt , '' she says .

Expanding the portfolio

Apart from traditional novels , Liu also found her calling in comic books . She has written issues for Marvel Comics ' `` Dark Wolverine '' and `` Astonishing X-Men '' series , for which she was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the LGBT community last year .

Liu also teaches comic book writing at MIT , even though she only became familiar with the genre at college after stumbling across it in a local bookstore . `` I did n't know how to write comics , I had to teach myself , '' she says , `` I had never been a comic book person before really because I had no access to them . Once I had access I thought that these are just another avenue for telling stories and delving into the imagination '' she adds .

In spite of managing to turn her passion into her job , Liu does n't regret the years she spent toiling away at law school : `` There was no guarantee that this would work out . I do n't want to give people the wrong advice to follow their dreams no matter what because it 's not fun to be a starving artist .

`` But on the other hand , life is short and if you are burning with a passion to do something then do it . Work hard , study hard at it and do n't give up , '' she says .

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Marjorie Liu is a New York Times bestselling author

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However she is also a qualified lawyer who changed her career after college

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She has written for Marvel Comics